Did you know that related services are among the significant provisions given in a child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP)? The U.S. Department of Education defines related services to mean those services designed to support the child’s educational goals by addressing the child’s unique needs. These are not an “add-on” but rather are the very basics for a child with a disability to be able to access and benefit from education.
Below, an education lawyer is going to cover what related services are, the various types available, and how they fit into your child’s overall special education plan. There’s a big chance you’re only trying to understand the concept and have a faint idea or need more in-depth knowledge. This guide leads through how services can be used to support your child’s learning and development.
What Are Related Services In Special Education?
Related services are all the other extra supportive services that are designed to help children with disabilities succeed in school. In other words, related services are those that supplement the child’s IEP as far as they are identified as the child’s needs. Notably, related services do not exist alone. They are done not on their own but in increasing the child’s educational benefits. The services complement the major instructional services.
Legal Foundation
The IDEA mandates that a related service must be provided to a child once that child has been identified with special education eligibility. These services support a child in a way that avails them of their education; hence, it is part and parcel of the IEP.
Kinds Of Related Services
1. Speech-Language Therapy
This therapy helps children who have difficulty with communication: articulation, language development, or social communication skills. It is under a state-licensed speech-language pathologist who works on ways to facilitate the child’s expressive and receptive skills.
This can also be crucial for those children who are suffering from speech and language impairments, for ensuring optimal academic performance by a child as well as can increase their potential for participating in the class discussion and following the directions provided by teachers along with enhancement of social interaction with their friends.
2. Occupational Therapy
The best possible treatment would be occupational therapy, which aims to develop the child’s skills in daily life and school activities. This includes fine motor skills such as writing and employment with sensory processing and self-care activities. Occupational therapists work hand in hand with the child in developing the ability to perform tasks that are vital for proper school participation.
OT can be helpful in the development of physical coordination and the motor skills required for activities like writing, scissors, and engaging in physical activities because it supports sensory integration that can help children get overwhelmed by their sensory environment.
3. Physical therapy
Physical therapy improves gross motor skills such as walking, sitting, or balancing. The physical therapist works with students that have a physical disability or developmental delay which affects their ability to move effectively in the school environment.
Counseling can assist kids in gaining the strength, balance, and coordination necessary for such things as relating within the school setting, engaging in physical education, and participating in playground activities.
4. Counseling Services
Counseling services within special education provide psychological assistance for children struggling behaviorally or emotionally. Such services are typically provided by a school psychologist or licensed counselor to assist children in learning to formulate coping mechanisms, social skills, and emotional regulating.
Counseling is integral to the child’s mental and emotional health, as it helps them concentrate in class, cope with stress, and be a positive role model to others.
5. Transportation Services
This allows children with disabilities to commute to and from school and to other places where they receive educational services. This includes education on how to care for buses used for the physically challenged and fitted with lifting gadgets or even having the bus attendants treat the students with courtesy as transportation services are also offered within the school.
Well, how else are children with disabilities going to go to school regularly?
6. Assistive Technology Services
Providing assistive technology services means devices or software are available and ongoing support is given so that they help the child with disabilities use the curriculum. This means communication devices or screen readers or unique types of software.
Assistive technology gives children what they need to learn the curriculum in terms that would be difficult or almost impossible for them to do virtually anything.
7. Audiology Services
Audiology services try to identify and help manage any hearing deficits in children. An audiologist tests a child’s hearing and prepares, and checks their hearing aids to incur optimum learning independent of the child’s development.
These services are important because they ensure sound, necessary for language and academic development, is within reach for children with hearing impairments.
8. Social Work Services
Social work service in a school program relates to social and emotional concerns that affect a child’s ability to learn. By establishing liaisons with the family, teacher, and other professionals, a school social worker offers help and resources to meet the needs of the child in the school and home environment.
It is the school’s overall experience which is better improved by intervening and removing social and emotional blocks that help a child concentrate on learning and forming healthy relationships.
How Are The Related Services Assessed?
Assessment Or Evaluation
The need for related services is determined after a complete evaluation process. This is whereby the child’s ability, weakness and IEPs educational goals are assessed. The multidisciplinary team involved in the evaluation process, consisting of educators, therapists, and parents, has the final say on the type of services to be provided.
Inclusion on the IEP
Once the need for related services is identified, these services are incorporated into the IEP of the child. This document will spell out the service type, the frequency of the service, and the goals that the service hopes to achieve. It means that the services given will be those that meet the child’s specific needs and are delivered cohesively.
Importance Of Related Services In Special Education
Improving Educational Outcomes
As our friends at K Altman Law can share, related services enable children with disabilities to realize their educational potential, solve learning barriers, and give the accompanying support needed to take part in the school going process. This may be either improving communication, facilitating movement, or dealing with emotional problems; all the named services will combine and help that child succeed in school.
Promotes Independence
In addition to contributing to academic success, the related services contribute to independence. Occupational therapy may help an individual child to develop the fine motor skills required for writing independently, while speech therapy may aid a child in communicating in a way that others can clearly understand without support. These services increase the ability of children to successfully perform tasks both in school and within the community.
Families Supported
Related services do not only support the child but the families of the children as well. Addressing the child’s needs at school will free the families from most of the other stresses. Besides that, most of the time, these related service providers engage the families in strategies and resources for the home, thus a more rounded approach to the child’s development.
Related services become part of special education and provide the backing that will help children with disabilities succeed in school. These services include speech therapy and counseling, among others, in order to meet such diverse needs and ensure that all children realize their full potential.
Knowing the types of related services and how they fit into your child’s IEP can be key components of advocacy. Close involvement with your child’s school and the related service providers enables your help in ensuring that the child receives education support, both academically and socially. If you feel that your child is not being supported in the way they need at school, contact an attorney near you for help.
